Picture yourself as a guest at your own funeral--a little morbid, perhaps, but there's a great point to be made. As you look to transitions in life--a new season, a new year, a new job or a big change--your glance turns forward as you look to what lies ahead. But what if instead we looked at the end of our lives? What would we want to have accomplished, to have said and done, between now and our last day on earth? The apostle Paul had a tremendous gift to look at his life while always keeping the end-goal in mind. It might be said that no one had a more productive life, a more impactful life for Christ, than this man. His example planted seeds that led to an explosion of Christianity worldwide after his death that we still see more than 2,000 years later. In this message, Dr. Merritt encourages us to be like Paul--to put our lives in the rear-view mirror and ponder what we can do today that will help us keep the end in mind.
Note: This message was originally preached at the end of December and makes a great New Year's or year end sermon.

When life comes to an end, there is great hope in knowing what God has planned for us in death. That seems to be the issue for the Thessalonians. The passage before us today has a very specific context. The issue comes up rather suddenly in the letter. All agree that Paul is addressing a question that the Thessalonians have raised with him. The question seems to have to do with the death of believers before the anticipated and much heralded return of Christ. Paul is quick to point out that the nature of death for the Christian is such that they will be very much a part of the glory of the return of Christ. So, the whole idea of death for the believer and/or the return of Christ to consummate this age are the basis of the great hope of the church. This is the hope that endures. So, what about a Christian’s hope? Let’s talk about the characteristics of the Christian’s hope, the commands of the Christian’s hope, and conclusions about the Christian’s hope.

When life comes to an end, there is great hope in knowing what God has planned for us in death. That seems to be the issue for the Thessalonians. The passage before us today has a very specific context. The issue comes up rather suddenly in the letter. All agree that Paul is addressing a question that the Thessalonians have raised with him. The question seems to have to do with the death of believers before the anticipated and much heralded return of Christ. Paul is quick to point out that the nature of death for the Christian is such that they will be very much a part of the glory of the return of Christ. So, the whole idea of death for the believer and/or the return of Christ to consummate this age are the basis of the great hope of the church. This is the hope that endures. So, what about a Christian’s hope? Let’s talk about the characteristics of the Christian’s hope, the commands of the Christian’s hope, and conclusions about the Christian’s hope.

When life comes to an end, there is great hope in knowing what God has planned for us in death. That seems to be the issue for the Thessalonians. The passage before us today has a very specific context. The issue comes up rather suddenly in the letter. All agree that Paul is addressing a question that the Thessalonians have raised with him. The question seems to have to do with the death of believers before the anticipated and much heralded return of Christ. Paul is quick to point out that the nature of death for the Christian is such that they will be very much a part of the glory of the return of Christ. So, the whole idea of death for the believer and/or the return of Christ to consummate this age are the basis of the great hope of the church. This is the hope that endures. So, what about a Christian’s hope? Let’s talk about the characteristics of the Christian’s hope, the commands of the Christian’s hope, and conclusions about the Christian’s hope.

Last week we began looking at this idea that we are calling Spiritual DNA: An Examination of the Church. Our guiding text is 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which tells us that God gave thanks for this church which exhibited a faith that works, a love that labors, and a hope that lasts. Last time we focused on this matter of faith. This morning our examination reveals that every church ought to have a love that labors. Paul did not write as much about love as He did faith or hope, but as the text reveals, he felt as though love was rather self explanatory.

Last week we began looking at this idea that we are calling Spiritual DNA: An Examination of the Church. Our guiding text is 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which tells us that God gave thanks for this church which exhibited a faith that works, a love that labors, and a hope that lasts. Last time we focused on this matter of faith. This morning our examination reveals that every church ought to have a love that labors. Paul did not write as much about love as He did faith or hope, but as the text reveals, he felt as though love was rather self explanatory.

Last week we began looking at this idea that we are calling Spiritual DNA: An Examination of the Church. Our guiding text is 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which tells us that God gave thanks for this church which exhibited a faith that works, a love that labors, and a hope that lasts. Last time we focused on this matter of faith. This morning our examination reveals that every church ought to have a love that labors. Paul did not write as much about love as He did faith or hope, but as the text reveals, he felt as though love was rather self explanatory.

Today, we want to highlight a church with a faith that works. Here’s the point. Sooner or later, we all have to face this question: “Will our faith work?” That is, faith is not really on display when everything is easy; faith is on display when everything is going wrong.
The story about the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah illustrates this point well. In summary, here is Jeremiah’s story as it relates to Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, prophesied that a day was coming when the Babylonians would invade Judah and that another day would come when a remnant would be restored to Israel. Jeremiah is imprisoned for preaching this message of doom and gloom even though the Babylonian army is beginning the besiege of Jerusalem. At that same time, God speaks to Jeremiah to reveal that he is going to have an offer to buy land. Don’t miss the picture—Jeremiah is being asked to buy land that the enemy is about to claim. I believe this is God’s way of asking Jeremiah whether Jeremiah really believes the promise of return. (32:25)
Paul points us to a church in the Church at Thessalonica that had a faith that worked—a faith that revealed itself as faith. How can this faith be described?